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Bringing Back the Anasazi

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I posted a journal a while back asking whether or not I am moving away from illustration and back to photography. Well if there's any sign that I truly need photography to survive, this is it.

This image describes pretty much perfectly my experience of the Native American dancers at Manitou Springs. Amazing dances incredibly enhanced by elaborate costumes, but containing an eerie, sad, and ultimately depressing feeling. These people claim to be descendants of cliff-dwelling ancients, yet they wear Plains Indians clothing. Why? Because they are marketing their performance to the white people who pay the $30 entrance fee so that they can run their business. The host referred to the 100% Caucasian audience as "you good folks" and told the children several times, "we are friendly Indians now." They perform the dance six times a day and went around the crowd asking for donations, to which the affluent white people gave much, perhaps because they wanted to help correct injustices of the past through money. I felt a bit guilty toward the end of the dance because the host sounded somewhat sad to perform, but the sadness really sunk in when I looked back at the images: Masses of light-skinned moms and kids with sunglasses straight out of their minivans staring at the spectacle that was once a sacred dance to this tribe. But who knows, perhaps the dances or the people themselves somehow covered up who they really are.

I doubt they could recognize my concern or respect while sitting in the crowd, but here is Bob Swifteagle doing his eagle dance.
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© 2007 - 2024 nessa
Comments4
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Edward-the-Oblivious's avatar
Reading your description nearly made me cry. It's one of those kinds of topics that really get to me. And even though my mother is always telling me I shouldn't be, it's this kind of situation that makes me ashamed of my skin color, if only for a moment. :(

Beautiful shot. Many praises. :heart: